Personalized Medicine

Immunotherapy is generating great excitement in melanoma and non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The FDA approvals of checkpoint inhibitors in these tumor types, as well as encouraging preliminary results in other solid tumors, have paved the way for studying these therapies in hematologic cancers.

Many presentations at ASH 2015 focused on novel therapies currently in development for the treatment of patients with hematologic malignancies, including a second generation of new agents recently approved by the FDA for a variety of hematologic cancers.

The multikinase inhibitor midostaurin is the first targeted therapy to improve overall survival (OS) in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and the FLT3 mutation.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has been striking in various hematologic malignancies, and for the first time this treatment approach is being evaluated in multiple myeloma.

Elderly patients with Philadelphia-negative B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have overall poor outcomes with current therapies. Results of a new study presented at ASH 2015 suggest that frontline treatment with the investigational antibody-drug conjugate inotuzumab ozogamicin in combination with deintensified chemotherapy is a good option for older patients with this disease.

A panel of 4 blood-derived biomarkers showed promise as an aid to early detection of colo­rectal cancer (CRC). The panel yielded a negative predictive value exceeding 90% for CRC, the combination of CRC and high-risk adenomas, and colorectal plus other cancers. The biomarker assay demonstrated fair to good performance characteristics, associated with the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve ranging between 0.70 and 0.80.

A liquid biopsy using phlebotomy blood samples can identify phenotypes and genomic characteristics of circulating tumor cells that may personalize treatment selection for men with advanced prostate cancer, according to the results of a study presented by Howard I. Scher, MD, Chief, Genitourinary Oncology Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, NY, at the 2016 ASCO Genitourinary Cancers Symposium.

Patients with previously treated metastatic urothelial cancer had response rates that exceeded historical standards when treated with an investigational immunotherapeutic agent, updated results of a large phase 2 clinical trial showed. Treatment with the PD-1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitor atezolizumab led to an overall response rate of 15% in 311 patients, including a 26% rate among patients who had the highest levels of PD-L1 expression. Historical data have demonstrated response rates of about 10% for second-line therapy and beyond.

Barcelona, Spain—Locoregional therapies for hepatocellular carcinoma and for colorectal cancer (CRC) metastases to the liver continue to demonstrate promising outcomes in clinical trials, according to findings presented at the 2015 European Society for Medical Oncology World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer.

San Antonio, TX—An innovative care model program for end-of-life care for patients with cancer improved symptom management, reduced hospitalizations and in-hospital deaths, and increased the use of hospice care.